THE CONSEQUENCES OF FREE WILL AND MIND LEAVING BONDAGE EVEN MIDDLE MEN DIFFER PLEASING THE LORD THE CONSEQUENCES OF FREE WILL AND MIND official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. The fundamental difference between man and an animal is that whatever an animal does, it does according to the rules of Parama Purus'a, according to its inborn instincts. Whatever a man does, he does according to his will and mental force. An animal lacks a developed mind, and a man has a developed mind. So if a man does not utilise his developed mind, he will be worse than an animal. Because of the individual body, there are psychic differences, caused by various reactive momenta. A man may do something good; he may do something bad also, or he may eventual ly have recourse to negative prati-saincara. What is pa'pa? That which should not be done, if done, is called 'pa'pa'. That which should be done, if not done, is called 'pratyava'ya.' The collective name of pa'pa and pratyava'ya is 'pa'taka.' The sins committed by a pa'takii are not of very serious nature. The redemption of a pa'takii is possible if one, forgetting whatever has been done, takes to the path of spirituality. The second form of a pa'takii is atipa'takii. This is one who has done permanent physical or mental damage to a particular person. Then the third type is maha'pa'takii. The sins committed by a maha'pa'takii are of recurring nature. The best course for an atipa'takii is to sacrifice his individual pleasure and involve himself in the welfare of humanity. But of course the mahapa'takii has to sacrifice his life for the welfare of mankind. In addition to that, he will have to do something which will be of permanent benefit for human beings. 16 August 1978, Patna LEAVING BONDAGE official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. "Mana eva manus'ya'n'a'm' ka'ran'am' bandhamoks'ayoh." Mind alone is the cause of the bondage and liberation of human beings. Why is it the cause of bondage and liberation? It is because all the beings below human being are bereft of an independent mind. Their minds are guided by their natural instincts. But human beings have an independent mind. They can act according to their will. They can take the track either of bondage or of liberation. This is the fundamental difference between human beings and animals. The mind must always have an object (vis'aya). In scriptures, vis'aya is known as 'a'bhoga.' 'A'bhoga' means that object which feeds the mind--that is, mental pabulum. If this pabulum is limited, the mind also becomes limited. If the pabulum is infinite, by making an effort to obtain it, the mind becomes infinite. It depends entirely on the will of human beings which pabulum, limited or unlimited, is made their object. Whether a person becomes great or small completely depends on the person's wish. "Bandhastu vis'aya'saungii mukto nirvisa'yam'statha'." When the object of human beings is small and they remain fixed to it, they are in bondage. When the object of the mind is infinite, and we get merged into it, as it is not possible to hold it, we call it liberation. "Pa'shabaddho bhavejjiivo pa'shamukto bhavet shivah." The person whose object of mind is limited, is in bondage. When the object of mind is unlimited, it (the mind) cannot be kept within limitations. Then there is no bondage, but liberation. What is the spiritual practice of human beings? It is forsaking unithood (jiivatva), leaving bondage, and attaining cosmichood (shivatava). This alone is the goal of human beings. 17 August 1978, Patna EVEN MIDDLE-MEN DIFFER official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. The word 'Ra'van'a' is made up of 'Rau' + 'An' -'Ra'van'a'--that which pushes one into downfall, into naraka--raurava naraka. The degraded human mind, working in ten directions, is Ra'van'a. Ra'van'a is mythological, not historical. There are four kinds of Sam'skrta literature--ka'vya (a beautiful presentation of events); Pura'n'a (an imaginary but educative story); itikatha' (a factual registration of events); and itiha'sa (a registration of factual events with educative value). Veda Vya'sa wrote eighteen Pura'n'as - imaginary stories; some of them might even have been against philosophy, so he has begged the Lord's pardon in a sloka. What is the most brilliant? Because everything else takes energy from the nucleus of the cosmological order, that is the most brilliant, the most glittering. Anything, small or big, has a cyclic order. An atom has nucleus and electrons. The moon revolves around out earth, and planets revolve around the sun; the solar system revolves around the nucleus of the whole cosmological system. Hence the sun is significant in comparison with Parama Purus'a. Electricity also takes energy, directly or indirectly from the sun. The sun and other manifestations take energy from Him. He is the most glittering entity; others are His reflected light. He is the most glittering object in the Universe. Any energy is invisible. We see the operation and action of electrical energy through lights, fans, etc. Similarly, no one has ever seen the sun--only its action. It looks round, but from a short distance it is simply like something burning. So electricity and the sun are things to feel only. The same is the case with the mind. No one can show his mind, nor can one see one's own mind. One can only feel. Similarly, Parama Purus'a is only to be felt and realized. The mind has its expression through the body. Somebody boasts of knowledge -- intellectualism. This is a type of mental expression. When you feel existence totally, you can become an altered personality. You "see" a ghost. You create a negative hallucination. When, due to fear, the total being is contracted, the mind is objectivated. Similarly, if the whole mind is filled with the feeling of Parama Purus'a, you can hardly bear--nor can you express--the bliss. You feel; you can only enjoy it! Man can not do anything small or big. You are just like a middleman. He does everything with His energy. There is a story in the Upanis'ad. Once Indra, the leader of the devata's, approached Parama Purus'a, the source of all energies for some instruction. He spoke a word, 'da.' The devata's interpreted it as 'damanam kuru' (control of one's baser propensities'). Human beings and asuras also approached Him. He spoke the same word to both of them. The human beings interpreted it as 'daya'm kuru' (show mercy) and the Asuras interpreted it as 'Da'nam kuru' (donate). Therefore there is found among the Asuras a great donor like King Maha Bali. 18 August 1978 evening, Patna PLEASING THE LORD official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 1, 2nd edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. To attain Paramatattva (The Supreme Stance), there are three recognised means--jina'na (intellectual knowledge), karma (action), and bhakti (devotion). Everybody has accepted, and Sham'kara'ca'rya, who has been considered the greatest philosopher in India, has also said in unambiguous language, that "Moks'a ka'ran'asamagra'm' bhaktireva gariiyasi"--for salvation, devotion is the best approach. Bhakti is greater than jina'na and karma. What is bhakti? The root word 'bhaj' and the suffix 'ktin' make the word 'bhakti.' 'Bhaj' means moving towards that Supreme Entity without any second thought. When all your sentiments, all your aspirations, move towards that Singular Entity without any second thought, then that psychic movement of yours if called 'bhakti.' The flow of this very devotion is prema (divine love). When this flow is not towards anything else, but towards Vis'n'u, it alone is prema. 'Ananyamamata' vis'n'ormamata' premasaungata'.' 'Mamata'' means 'mine-ness'--'Mama' means 'one's own', and the abstract noun derived from it is 'mamata'' -- meaning, thereby 'mine-ness.' Who is Vis'n'u? The entity which is all-pervading (sarva'nusruta) is Vis'n'u. 'Vista'ra sarvabhutesu vis'n'orvishvamidam' jagat.' The entity which is all-pervading in this Cosmos is Vis'n'u. There should not be any amalgamation in devotion. For example, people mix copper in gold, but there should be no mixture in bhakti. Bhakti should be shuddha' bhakti, unadulterated devotion; that is, there should not be any covert desire in the mind. If there is a second thought, it might be that that desire will be satiated; but Parama Purus'a will remain unattained. The covert desire was your main desire, and devotion was a show. This will not do. What is this shuddha' bhakti? 'I want nothing from you. I love you. I love you because by loving you I get pleasure.' This alone is ra'ga'nuga' bhakti or shuddha' bhakti. But this ra'ga'nuga' bhakti is not final. In ra'ga'nuga' bhakti, the idea is that you love Him because by doing so you derive pleasure. Greater devotees don't even like this. They love God, not because they get pleasure, but because He gets pleasure. To give him pleasure is what they want. 'I don't even want pleasure for myself. I want to please you; therefore I love you.' This alone is the supreme devotion. This is known as 'ra'ga'tmika' bhakti'. Gopayate yah sah gopah'--those who do this ra'ga'tmika' bhakti are known as 'gopa'. In Laokika Sam'skrta, 'gopa' means 'one who rears cows.' But, in philosophical language, it is not so. 'Gopayate' means to give pleasure. So, those whose nature is to give pleasure to Parama'tman are Gopa. In devotional scriptures it is said that Parama'tman is a slave to the Gopas. Hence, everybody should encourage ra'ga'tmika' bhakti, because this alone is the most blissful means of attaining emancipation. There is no alternative. 19 August 1978, Patna